Variable-speed mechanism.



No. 726,976. PATENTED MAY 5, 1903'.

H. M00. NORRIS.

VARIABLE SPEED MECHANISM.

, APPiIGATION FILED 3312.}. 1903.

.HQ MODEL.

m P v 5 nven '01 Lv UIMQQQQQ 4M, I e @f ykmd Guava mt STATES Patented May 5, 1903.

Fries.

ATENT VARIABLE-SPEED MECHANISM SPECIFICATIQN formingpart'of Letters Patent N o.' 726,976, dated May 5, 1903.

Application fild February 2, 1903; serial No. 141,400. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY MoCoY NORRIS,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new anduse ful Improvements in Variable-SpeedMechanism, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to the production of a speed-variator.

The prime object of this invention is to produce four changes of speed froma comparatively small number of gear-wheels. Vhile I have shown my improvement as an individual mechanism, itis primarily adapted and intended to be incorporated-into a machine tool organization, preferably as, the primary speed-changing element between the counter-shaft and the spindle or first workshaft of the tool, whether a lathe, drill, milling-machine, or a planer. Thus it constitutes a very acceptable substitute for the ponderous and objectionable conepulley system; but. the improvement has other uses. Itmay be used as an independent speed variator, a counter-shaft attachment, or it may be incorporated at some other position in a machine tool organization than thatfirst mentioned.

, Fig. 1.

For instance, in that class of engine-lathes employing a cone of gear-wheelsanda tumbler with its pinion and driving gear-wheels my improvement may be used as a compoundertherefor. Beingessentiallyaspeedvariator, the functions of this deviceas a means for compounding one or more other speed-changing systems of a train is equally. useful and desirable.

The features of my invention are more fully set forth in the description of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a central vertical section of my improvement. Fig. 2 is a section on line as x,

A represents a suitable housing, frame,or support havingjournal-bearings a co 1) b c 0'," within which journals are mounted, respectively, the driving-shaft B, the intermediate 0, and the driven or workshaft D. l E represents the driving pulley-wheel on shaft B. The connection between the workshaft D and any further working elements is notshown. WithinthehousingAandmountspeed in a given ratio.

ed loosely upon the shaft B are the gearwheels 1 and 2, having the clutch members 61 d on their opposing faces.

' F represents aclutch slidable on shaft B between the gear-wheels 1 and 2, adapted to engage into either ofthe clutch members 61 d,

whereby either of said gear-wheels l and 2 maybe fixed to turn with said shaft B.

Upon the work-shaft D are the loose gearwheels 6 7-, having; the clutch members ff upon their opposing faces adapted to be engaged by thesliding clutch G, mounted on shaft D between them. The clutches are of the ordinary form of friction clutches in which a friction-ring is employed, said ring being compressedwithin the gears, whereby any one of the four loose gear-wheels are clutched to their respective shaft by the clutches F and G.

3 represents a gear-Wheel on shaft 0, ,connecting in train gear-wheels 1 and 6.

45 represent compound gear-wheels on shaft 0, gear-wheel 5 being intermeshed with gear-wheel 2, and gear-wheel 4 being interineshedwith gear-wheel 7.

; 1 Preferably gear-wheels 1, a, and 6 are of equal diameter and gear-wheels 2 and 5 for the purpose of multiplying or reducing the this ratio is one of numerical selection, dependentupon the particular acquirement-s of the speed-changer for a given work.

7 The clutch F is connected to ayoke-arm H, and clutchG is similarly connected to the yoke-arm I. These yoke-arms preferably project outwardly toward the front of the machine and are provided with the ears J J at their outer end.

K represents a rod journaled in the lugs g g, inwardlyprojected from the side of the casing,

this rod K passing through the ears J J of'the yoke-arms H I. The yoke-arm I is secured to the said rod K, so as to turn therewith, the means shown being a set-screw II/through the ear J. .At the upper end the rod K-passes looselythrough the earJ, forming a fulcrum therefor. l

L represents a levercast-integral with the ear J of the yoke-arm H, and M represents a lever attached to the rod K, as shown, by means of a set-screw.

Lever L, controlling the clutch on shaft B,

Obviously, however,

fulcrums on rod K. Lever M, controlling the clutch on shaft D, is securedto rod K, which fulcrums in the casing-lugs g g.

Mode of operation: As shown, gears 2 and 5 are even, and gears 3 and 7 are twice the diameter of gears 1, 4, and 6. If the lever L be moved to throw the clutch F into clutch member d and the lever M be moved to throw the clutch G into the clutch member f, gearwheels 1 and 6 will be fixed to their respective shafts, and hence the shaft D will be driven at an equal speed with shaft B. The lever L remaining in this last-named position, if the lever M is shifted in the opposite direction remaining gear-wheel 7 will be clutched to shaft D, shaft D being driven through the train of gears 1, 3, 4, and (at a speed one-fourth as great as the speed of shaft B. The leverM remaining in the last-named adjusted position, if the lever L is now shifted in the other direction remaining gearwheel 2 will be clutched to shaft B, and shaft D will be driven through the train of gearwheels 2, 5, 4, and 7 at one-half the speed of shaft B. The lever L remaining in this lastnamed adjusted position, if now the lever M be shifted in the opposite position theremaining gear-wheel 6 will be clutched to shaft D, and shaft D will be driven through the train of gear-wheels 2, 5, 3, and 6 at a speed twice as great as the speed of the shaft D. By this construction four speed changes are obtained from seven gear-wheels.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. A speed-variator comprising a casing, three parallel shafts journaled therein, different-diameter gear-wheels loose on the first shaft, means for rotating said first shaft, means on said first shaft for clutching either of said loose gear-wheels thereto, two gearwheels loosely mounted on the third shaft, means on said third shaft for clutching either of said loose gear-wheels thereto, an intermediate gear-wheel on the second shaft connecting in train two of the opposing gear-wheels on the first and third shafts, a compound intermediate gear-wheel on the second shaft, one of the members of which intermeshes with the remaining gear-wheel on the first shaft, the other member intermeshing with the remaining gear-wheel on the third shaft, and means for shifting said clutches, substantially as described.

2. A speed-variator comprising a casing, three parallel shafts journaled therein, two gear-wheels loose on the first, and two gear- Wheels loose on the third shafts, clutches on said shafts between the respective gear- Wheels thereon, two of the gear-wheels on said shafts being disposed in the same plane, the remaining two gear-wheels being disposed in parallel planes, a simple intermediate gear- Wheel on the second shaft connecting in train two oppositely-disposed gear-wheels on the first and third shafts, a compound intermediate gear-wheel on the second shaft connecting in train the two-gear-wheels disposed in parallel planes on said shafts, and means for shifting said clutches, substantially as described.

3. A speed-variator, comprising a casing, three parallel shafts journaled therein,means for rotating the first shaft, two difierent-diametered gear-wheels loose on the first shaft, a sliding clutch between them, two differentdiametered gear-wheels loose on the third shaft, a sliding-clutch between them, two of said four gear-wheels being disposed in the same plane and two being disposed in parallel planes, an intermediate gear-wheel on the second shaft connecting the gears of the same plane, compound intermediate gear-wheels on the second shaft connecting the gear-wheels of parallel planes, each clutch having a shifting-arm, a rod journaled in the casing to engage one of said clutch-arms loosely and the othervof the clutch-arms fixedly, and levers attached respectively to the clutch-arms, one fulcrumed on said rod, and one fixed to said rod, for independently shifting the clutches, substantially as described.

4. A speed-variator comprising a casing, three parallel shafts journaled therein, two

gear-wheels loose on the first and two gearwheels loose on the third shafts, the gearwheels on each shaft being relatively of larger and smaller diameter, two of the gear-wheels on the first and third shafts being of the same diameter for an equal drive, two of said four gear-wheels being in the same plane and two being in parallel planes, clutches on said shafts between said gear-wheels, means for shifting the same, a simple and a compound intermediate gear-wheel on the second shaft, connecting said driving and driven gear- Wheels in four different trains through the shifting of the clutches, substantially as described.

5. In a speed-variator, a casing, three parallel shafts journaled therein, clutches on the driving and'driven shafts, aseries of seven gear-wheels arranged on said shafts, in the relation of driving, intermediate and driven gear wheels, and means for shifting said clutches, whereby said shafts may be connected through said gear-wheels in anyone of four separate trains, substantially as described.

6. A speed-variator comprising a set of seven gears of varying ratios arranged in series on three shafts, a driving, an intermediate and a driven shaft, clutch-and-lever mechanism on said driven and driving shafts, and so disposed as to clutch any one of said gears on said driving and driven shafts, through which four changes of speed may be obtained by varying manipulations of the clutches,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HENRY MCCOY NORRIS.

Witnesses:

OLIVER B. KAISER, IDA J. Lows.

ICC) 

